Riverdale: Sabrina the Teenage Witch a ‘Possibility’

The CW finally launched its Riverdaleadaption, introducing viewers to the revamped world of Archie Andrews and his small-town pals. A subversive take on the beloved ’40s-launched comic series, the teen drama is moodier and more mysterious, but features all the usual suspects. K.J. Appa stars as the central redhead, Lili Reinhardt plays Betty, Camila Mendes takes on Veronica, Cole Sprouse tackles Jughead, and Madelaine Petsch channels Cheryl Blossom. Josie and the Pussycats are even there, too.

But onecharacter that’s noticeably absent from the lineup is Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Though she was popularized in the ’90s by the Melissa Joan Hart-led sitcom of the same name, Sabrina made her debut in the Archie universe back in 1962. Riverdale executive producer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa previously teased that bringing Sabrina onto the show was a major possibility, but now it sounds like things might be getting magical a lot quicker than fans thought.

“We could [see her in Season 1],” Aguirre-Sacasa told The Wrap in a new interview. “As I say, never say never, but it’s certainly within the realm of possibility.” He went on to explain that while he’d love to bring her into the mix, Sabrina and the Riverdale crew exist in disparate worlds. Here’s what he had to say:

“The one thing that’s tricky is, there will always be a genre, mystery element to this show, but it’s hard to introduce a supernatural element. I think there’s a way to introduce Sabrina in a way that’s not supernatural, but she is, she’s a witch … As dark as Riverdale is, the vision for Sabrina is even darker. Riverdale is on one side of the Sweetwater River and Greendale, where Sabrina lives, is on the other. There’s sort of that mythic idea that on one side of the river there’s one reality and on the other side of the river there’s another reality. So who knows? But yeah, there’s definitely a universe where Sabrina pops up in Riverdale, or there’s a version of Sabrina that exists in her own witchy bubble.”

A darker Sabrina certainly would be different. In the original comics, she was spunky but kind, often using her powers to help others or to simply face the tribulations of daily teenagedom. The series, too, took a similarly innocuous approach, focusing on her friends, family life, and relationships. But Aguirre-Sacasa is right: that Sabrina wouldn’t make sense for Riverdale. The show puts a gritty spin on Archie’s once-wholesome world, and a bubbly teen witch just wouldn’t fit in. However, if they were to play into the black magic often associated with the supernatural, like her current comics incarnation, it could make for a spine-chilling twist. Here’s to hoping Sabrina — whichever version of her — will arrive in Riverdale soon.